Q+A: Alberta's first community food centre to open in Calgary later this year

Calgarians will have access to a community garden, cooking classes, and nutritious food when Alberta’s first community food centre opens in Forest Lawn later this year. Feeding hungry Calgarians will move beyond food hampers at the Alex Community Food Centre at 4920 17th Ave. S.E. In a former restaurant and adjacent parking lot-turned-community-garden in the heart of Calgary’s International Avenue, citizens of all ages will grow food, learn to cook, and use food to build community.

Postmedia reporter Annalise Klingbeil spoke with project manager Renee MacKillop about the community food centre, which is the seventh to open in Canada and first located west of Winnipeg.

Q: What is a community food centre?

A: It’s a welcoming space where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. Community food centres offer programming in three key areas: access to healthy food, food skills in the garden and kitchen, and education and engagement around building community connections and civic engagement to talk about the bigger systemic issues related to our food system, community health and wellbeing, and inequality and inclusiveness.

Q: So who visits community food centres?

A: Community food centres are often located in low-income communities because we know that low-income folks struggle to put enough food on the table. There are almost 4 million people in Canada who are food insecure. As a result, they also experience higher illness related to diet. Community food centres are open to everyone. These are really places where people can feel good about coming and getting involved in a meal or cooking class or in their community to improve their own health, connect with one another and have a voice in the bigger picture.

Q: Tell me more about the Calgary community food centre?

A: The Alex Community Food Centre opening in Calgary will be the first in Alberta. It’s part of a national movement that’s led by Community Food Centres Canada. They’ve built a proven model that’s at work across the country — there’s six up and running. The partnership is between Community Food Centres Canada and The Alex, a local organization here in Calgary that’s been delivering healthcare and social programs to vulnerable Calgarians for over 40 years. (Calgary’s community food centre) landed in greater Forest Lawn on International Avenue, which makes a lot of sense. In Forest Lawn, there are almost double the amount of people living below the low-income cutoff. Also, International Avenue is home to amazing food in Calgary. It will open later this year. By the end of this summer, we’ll be soft-launching programming.

Q: What types of programs will be part of that launch?

A: The programming is adapted to every local context. In this case, we’re looking at hosting community meals that celebrate the different cultures that are so vibrant in greater Forest Lawn. We’re looking at cooking classes that offer people basic skills in the kitchen, a lot for kids and youth especially. We’re also looking at gardening classes that let people contribute to the community garden…and a peer advocacy program that gives people who have lived experience in dealing with health issues or financial challenges a chance to share their experiences and volunteer and help one another.

Q: Will you need a referral to visit the community food centre or can anyone, from anywhere in the city, participate?

A: There will be all kinds of ways for people to be involved whether that’s volunteering or contributing to a capital campaign or coming in to participate in programs. That will work through a conversation with a staff member to find out how each Calgarian can get involved in the food centre.

Q: How is the food centre funded?

A: We’re 60 per cent on our way to raise the capital and programming funds for running the Community Food Centre…(There is) a really generous and compassionate community of people that include chefs, and restauranteurs, and individuals, and organizations that have really stepped up to make this happen, including all of our in-kind supporters.

Q: Tell me more about the space?

A: We’re transforming an old restaurant into this community food centre. It’s this bright, open space where people are going to feel welcomed and respected and good about coming there…Inside right now there’s staff offices, a commercial kitchen for meals and cooking classes, some break-out spaces for community conversations and child minding and a multi-functional dining space that will seat about 100 people…The garden is being built to reflect the Alberta farm landscape, so it ties it all back to where our food comes from and sharing it together.

Q: Long-term, is it hoped more community food centres will open in Calgary?

A: Absolutely. That’s the whole idea around imagining a future where we have healthy, and inclusive and equitable communities. Food is so fundamental to those things that there could be a day where a community food centre is as ubiquitous as a library. We know food is so important to everyone, and it only makes sense that this is something that could be consistent in many communities.

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